In August 2017, a major law enforcement initiative known as “Operation Rio Grande” was launched in Salt Lake City, aimed at curbing a concentration of crime, homelessness and drug use.Now, the area around Pioneer Park and The Road Home has transformed, with a sustained police presence cutting down on transient camps and a new drug court allowing addicts to gain access to treatment in lieu of prosecution. But what was a concentrated problem has been dispersed into neighboring areas of the city and county. And after one year, and tens of millions of dollars, there is a question of whether Operation Rio Grande is working to reduce drug use and homelessness, or whether it has simply relocated it.On this week’s “Trib Talk” podcast, Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, and Tribune reporter Benjamin Wood discuss the one-year anniversary of the operation, it’s successes and ongoing challenges.“Trib Talk” is produced by Sara Weber with additional editing by Dan Harrie. Comments and feedback can be sent to tribtalk@sltrib.com, or to @bjaminwood or @tribtalk on Twitter.Listeners can subscribe to “Trib Talk” for free on SoundCloud, iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and other major podcast platforms.

August 14, 2018

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How young is too young to get married in Utah? | Episode 17

In Utah, it is legal to marry at age 15 with the permission of a judge, or 16 with a parent’s consent. But one Utah lawmaker is trying to change that by raising the minimum marriage age to 18.It’s a change that could be particularly felt by one of Utah’s polygamous groups, in which teenage girls often marry before reaching legal adulthood, due to pressure from their parents and religious leaders, or as a means of escaping their living situations and avoiding assignment into a plural marriage.On this week’s “Trib Talk” podcast, state Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, and Tribune reporter Nate Carlisle join Benjamin Wood discuss the factors behind teenage marriages in Utah and the arguments for and against raising the legal age of marriage.“Trib Talk” is produced by Sara Weber with additional editing by Dan Harrie. Comments and feedback can be sent to tribtalk@sltrib.com, or to @bjaminwood or @tribtalk on Twitter.Listeners can subscribe to “Trib Talk” for free on SoundCloud, iTunes and Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and other major podcast platforms.

August 08, 2018

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LoveLoud is being called a success by some, but unsafe by others. Can it adapt? | Episode 16

In its second year, the LoveLoud Festival saw a larger crowd packed into a larger venue for its event celebrating and supporting LGBTQ youth.But LoveLoud’s growth also came with growing pains. Some LGBTQ support organizations left the event early, or issued critical statements, over the festival’s treatment of transgender individuals.The disappointment felt by many stood in stark contrast to LoveLoud’s celebratory and inclusive theme. But will the controversy damage the reach of future LoveLoud events?On this week’s “Trib Talk” podcast, Provo Pride spokeswoman Brianna Cluck, Utah Pride Center executive director Rob Moolman, and Jordan Sgro, chief program officer of Encircle, join reporter Benjamin Wood to discuss LoveLoud’s impact, successes, missteps, and future.

August 01, 2018

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Are fireworks worth the risks? | Episode 15

Last summer, Independence Day fireworks combined with hot and dry conditions to set off dozens of fires throughout Salt Lake County.In response, one city banned fireworks for Pioneer Day, despite warnings that it lacked the authority to do so. And pressure mounted for state lawmakers to shrink Utah’s legal firework season.So far this year has seen fewer blazes, but the dangers remain. And beyond fires, the noisy, decorative bombs are a frequent source of complaint for some residents, who cite the impact on children, pets and veterans as reasons for their prohibition.On this week’s episode of “Trib Talk,” Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville, and former Cottonwood Heights mayor Kelvyn Cullimore join reporter Benjamin Wood to discuss the pros and cons of fireworks, and whether the state Legislature or individual city governments are best positioned to regulate pyrotechnic displays.

July 25, 2018

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Do BYU police have to follow the same rules as other local cops? | Episode 14

BYU plans to appeal a court decision that found the university’s police department to be a government entity, subject to the state’s open-records laws.The ruling, in a lawsuit filed by The Salt Lake Tribune, relates to BYU’s handling of sexual assault and the role of law enforcement in campus disciplinary proceedings. If it stands, BYU Police would be required to comply with the government records access management act, or GRAMA, and have its operations subject to the same public scrutiny, transparency and accountability as other law enforcement agencies in the state.But BYU contends that because the university is private, so too is its police department, and that GRAMA and Utah’s transparency rules do not apply.On this week’s episode of “Trib Talk," Holly Richardson, a member of the Utah State Records Committee and a former state lawmaker, joins reporters Benjamin Wood and Jessica Miller to discuss the ruling and what it means for law enforcement transparency in Utah County.

On this week’s episode of “Trib Talk,” reporter Benjamin Wood discusses the nomination of Brett Kavanuagh to the U.S. Supreme Court with Jason Perry, director of the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics, and Michelle Quist, an attorney and candidate for the Salt Lake County Council.

Is family separation the best way to handle immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border? | Episode 10

On today’s episode of “Trib Talk,” Tribune reporter Benjamin Wood discusses border security and the separation of migrant families with Arturo Morales-LLan, a member of the Utah Republican Party’s State Central Committee, and Luis Garza, executive director of Comunidades Unidas.

On today’s episode of “Trib Talk,” Tribune reporters Benjamin Wood and Kathy Stephenson discuss Utah’s restaurant industry and the health code violations that can force a business to shut down.

June 13, 2018

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Can atheist bakers refuse to serve Mormons? | Episode 8

In this week’s episode of “Trib Talk,” Tribune reporter Benjamin Wood discusses this week’s Supreme Court decision in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case with John Mejia, legal director for the ACLU of Utah, and Bill Duncan, director of The Sutherland Institute’s Center for Family and Society.

On today’s episode of “Trib Talk,” Tribune reporter Benjamin Wood chats with Canyons School District teacher Katie Bullock and Utah School Superintendents Association executive director Terry Shoemaker about how student safety is helped or hurt by modern school design trends.

May 23, 2018

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The five things to know about Utah, according to Paul Rolly | Episode 5

On today’s episode of “Trib Talk,” Tribune reporter Benjamin Wood chats with recently-retired columnist Paul Rolly about his view of Utah politics after a long media career, and the recent staff cuts at The Salt Lake Tribune.

In this week’s episode of “Trib Talk,” Benjamin Wood, Tribune reporter Taylor Stevens, and employment attorney Jonathan Driggs discuss hugging in the workplace, and how unwanted physical contact can become problematic for employers and employees.

May 09, 2018

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A Utah police officer seeks help for himself, and others, after years of trauma | Episode 3

In this week’s episode of “Trib Talk,” reporter Benjamin Wood, Tribune deputy managing editor Matt Canham and Brent Jex, president of the Utah’s Fraternal Order of Police, discuss the need for, and stigma surrounding, mental health services within the law enforcement community.

In this week’s episode of “Trib Talk,” Tribune reporters Benjamin Wood and Courtney Tanner and columnist Robert Gehrke discuss last weekend’s Utah Republican Convention and the upcoming primary elections for Senate candidate Mitt Romney and incumbent Congressman John Curtis.

April 25, 2018

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Will Utah voters go against the Mormon church on medical marijuana? | Episode 1

In this episode of “Trib Talk,” Tribune reporters Taylor Anderson and Benjamin Wood and Tribune editorial writer Michelle Quist discuss a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana that appears likely to qualify for the November ballot.